No CTO in the world would pass on a magic wand that would magically make their engineers more senior. It seems like experience, even in well-balanced teams, is something we always want more of. To get more experience in the team, until recently, startups relied on ever-increasing headcounts. That strategy, alas, doesn’t seem like it […]
Right off the bat, let me say that we are going to discuss a first-world problem: Your team’s doing great, and you don’t know what to do? Boohoo. Where’s the world’s smallest violin when you need it? Nevertheless, it is a real issue. So much so that I’ve seen leaders that spotted things could get […]
There’s a mini-crisis going on right now in the tech sector. And the most important thing about these is, of course, to never waste a good crisis. One thing that is becoming clear again is that companies are definitely not families. That’s a good thing for everyone involved. Let’s discuss conscious culture-forming around this concept […]
Let’s clarify: I am not against using objectives as a tech executive to guide your organization. In fact, I believe they are a fantastic tool for gaining alignment and focus. However, I have an issue with bad objectives that serve the exact opposite. This article covers what should be your default focus for objectives, what […]
I’m often asked what common patterns of problems and issues I see as someone exposed to lots of different companies. One such problem which is a recurring problem with startup leadership is the tendency to settle on reactivity. Rather than take charge, executives are busy trying to handle all the incoming requests. Because they always […]
I’ve written before about the types of things that I look for in senior tech leaders as I interview candidates. One amazing indicator of success I haven’t found a good way to interview for is the capability to push back tactfully. It makes sense that most people avoid appearing argumentative during interviews. However, too often, […]
For a while now, I’ve been saying that engineers go off to chase clever tech, shiny libraries, needlessly intricate refactoring endeavors, and tech debt crusades because it was easy. That’s their path of least resistance to exert control and autonomy. In fact, this is part of a broader phenomenon that also afflicts engineering managers and […]
A funny thing about cognitive dissonance is that we all tend to be a lot better when it comes to spotting it in others. When someone else comments on their values or productivity habits, for example, you’ll easily quip to yourself, “Yeah, right,” if that person, in fact, doesn’t adhere to what’s stated. But when […]
I don’t know if it is still common, but “back in my day,” there was a distinct stage in an engineer’s career: the complexification. That was when one would first find out about some topic, often the phenomenal Design Patterns book, and go into a frenzy trying to force one’s newfound knowledge into use. It’s […]
While the vast majority of my work nowadays is advisory work for CTOs and CEOs, I sometimes help companies bring in a new tech executive. This week, I thought it might be interesting to share what are the things that I look for when I participate in these interviews. Even if you’re not looking for […]